Co To Island

CO TO ISLAND IN BAI TU LONG BAY
 

Popular Vietnamese writer Nguyen Tuan has more than once confessed his love for the beauty and charm of Co To island. “How can I name the colour of the sea today? Why does it have such an unreasonable blue? Is this the colour of a young banana leaf? Or an old banana leaf? Or is it like the green colour of the young rice field?” he wrote in his book A Journal to Co To. Tuan finally gives up as “the moment you say the colour, it has changed to something different.”
 
Co To island is located in Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province, next to Halong bay. In general, Co To Island Distrcict is comprised of 40 islands varying in size. Three of the largest islands are Co To island, Thanh Lan island and Tran island. This is a must-see attraction of Vietnam, an ideal place to travel and relax. Co To’s rustic beauty has attracted a lot of young tourists in Vietnam who are seeking adventure and do not care about hotels and services quality.
 
Co To island is usually referred to as “Large Co To Island”, which can be explained by its relatively large area. Despite the growth of Vietnam modern industry, the island still has deserted and aesthetic beaches. Co To island has all of the best ingredients for a dream getaway. Whenever you walk on a Co To beach, you are about to experience many unforgettable emotions. These beautiful tropical beaches have wonderful shores with white sands and blue, crystal-like water. The sea at Co To seems to be so nice no matter when you look at it: day or night, sunrise or sunset, under the moonlight or in the morning mist. Hong Van and Van Chay beaches are referred to as sunrise and sunset beaches, respectively. They are 20 minutes away from each other by motorbike and both offer pristine long, sandy beaches. While Hong Van has smaller waves and is great for swimming, the latter will better suit those with a penchant for paddling and surfing. You’ll need to bring your own board, though.
 
On Bac Van beach you can rent a local fishing boat that will take you to Co To Con — a little island east of Co To that remains uninhabited. A further forty minutes around the island is the east beach of Co To Con, which has the island’s clearest water with beautiful coral and scores of starfish.
 
A must is a ride to the mountaintop lighthouse, the highest peak of the island for panoramic views. There is even a romantic path which leads to the lighthouse. Only 1km long, this path goes within the pine tree forest full of fresh and aromatic wild flowers. When you reach that lighthouse, which is 70 metres above sea level, you can hear the breath of the ocean and fill your mind with the peaceful scenery of Co To.
 
For those who aren’t beach bound, renting a motorbike is another fun way to explore Co To. It gives you the freedom to explore the green rice fields, the peaceful residential areas and the tree-lined streets. You can also test your driving skills on the hilly, rough and unpaved road that leads to Cau My, where you can enjoy views of the island’s most striking cliffs.
 
Sometime during harvest time, you can even smell the fragrance of oranges from the nearby Thanh Lan island, which has turned a splendid orange-yellow color.
 
The perfect ecotourism tours in the forest of Co To island are another option to consider when you stay in Co To. Beside, you can actually hire a boat to discover the islands, go fishing or snorkeling. When you are tired of walking around, sit down and enjoy the incredibly tasty seafood. You can choose to either cook by yourself or to hire a native to cook for a very good price.
 
Love Valley at the bottom of the hill has huge copper-coloured rocks with a surface similar to that of a fish’s fin, crafted by the water over thousands of years.

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